And it's those networks that remove hardware and features, hobble the devices with bloatware, and take forever to push OS upgrades.

Not on iPhones they don't.

That is because Apple have enough clout, and a product that the carriers can't afford not to have, to be able to dictate their own terms. And those terms are that the iPhone is Apple's device, and noone else gets to mess it up.
No single Android manufacturer has that, even if in total the Android market might (or might not) be more important to the carriers.

But you should remember that when you buy a samusng product you automatically put yourself in a very slow route for upgrades and if you buy a Google device you will always have the latest updates.
So far i have had 3 updates in 3 months for jelly bean since it's release and the 4.2 update is imminent which brings a host of new features and also brings even greater speed to the OS.

Jelly bean 4.2 will increase the gap even more between those that have it and those that are still stuck with ice cream sandwich and even older android versions.

But you should remember that when you buy a samusng product you automatically put yourself in a very slow route for upgrades and if you buy a Google device you will always have the latest updates.
So far i have had 3 updates in 3 months for jelly bean since it's release and the 4.2 update is imminent which brings a host of new features and also brings even greater speed to the OS.

Jelly bean 4.2 will increase the gap even more between those that have it and those that are still stuck with ice cream sandwich and even older android versions.

I didn't realize it had IPS. How is it supposed to be in sunlight. That is a big thing for me.

If that one is derived from the HTC J Butterfly just announced in Japan, then that is more like what I am looking for.

Quote:

The new device, dubbed the HTC J Butterfly, will sport the same screen size as the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and come with a 5-inch 440ppi high-resolution full HD 1920 × 1080 touchscreen display, run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4 on top, and be powered by a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.

It will have 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera on the back, a 2-megapixel camera on the front, and 1080P HD video recording capabilities. You will also be able to expand the storage by a further 32GB via the microSD slot and, as you might expect, it will also have 4G LTE connectivity.

At least the Nexus seems to support OTG. Not as neat as a SD-Card slot but usable.

As to LTE I don't quite see the requirement in a mobile device when data plans are still capped but at least I would expect the device to support the frequencies that are being used where I live.
To my knowledge here in Germany the Lumia 920 is going to be the only phone that covers all LTE frequencies. The iPhone 5 doesn't.

At least the Nexus seems to support OTG. Not as neat as a SD-Card slot but usable.

As to LTE I don't quite see the requirement in a mobile device when data plans are still capped but at least I would expect the device to support the frequencies that are being used where I live.
To my knowledge here in Germany the Lumia 920 is going to be the only phone that covers all LTE frequencies. The iPhone 5 doesn't.

Yes i wondered about OTG access , nice to know the nexus 4 has USB hosting. Another good feature i use on my Nexus 7 so i can connect my 64gb sandisk ultra usb stick and ether stream or transfer the media to my tablet.

In the UK we are in the same boat as Germany and so MANY other countries with poor or no LTE /4G coverage, so it's a waste of money if your a early adopter.

The service is pitiful so far and is very overpriced as i read that they did a uk survey and 70% of current 3G mobile users questioned would not be switching to 4G/LTE because of the high price and coverage.
4G wont become a creditable phone network for some time to come ,at least outside the Usa.

''I can live with HSPA+, especially since it’s cheaper. So why pay extra for high speeds now and then but generally the same speeds I’m getting anyway?''

''I won’t be rushing to use 4G, then, at least not for the time being. EE’s network has the potential to deliver very high broadband speeds, but in too few places. As I said at the start, EE is still building out its network, and coverage can only improve. But there’s little mileage for me in being an early adopter. The Register will continue to monitor EE’s roll-out and, in due course, other operators’ LTE services.''

The Nexus 4 looks pretty good to me, although I don't know if I'd do much "reading" on it. It would go well with my Nexus 7 which I'm very happy with, and replace my old steam-driven, 2-year-old Android 2.1 starter phone.

I always thought of Samsung's AMOLED displays as superior to other phone displays, including those using IPS technology. Am I wrong? I have a SGS2 and I couldn't imagine a better display.

It's a personal preference really I prefer amoled screens myself they have the best blacks and the most vivid colours, I've seen other people arguing super lcd etc is better but those all look kind of washed out and dull to me now.